Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male blue, female brown with blue at wing base. Underside white with black spots indistinct or lacking; single small orange spot near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and perch during the day. Females lay eggs on flowers or young seedpods of host plant. Caterpillars eat young seeds inside the pod, where they overwinter and pupate.
Flight: March-July. Several broods in southern California, a partial second brood in the southern Rocky Mountains, and one brood elsewhere.
Caterpillar Hosts: Legumes with inflated pods including false lupine (Thermopsis), milkvetch (Astragalus), crazyweed (Oxytropis), and vetches (Vicia and Lathyrus).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open - usually native - areas with low shrubs including chaparral, meadows, and open woodland.
Range: Alaska south through western North America and all western mountains to northern Baja California, east across Canada's prairie provinces to northern Michigan, Ontario, and the Gaspé Peninsula.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes amyntula
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 652 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 10, 2021
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 13, 2021
Observation date: Apr 10, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 11, 2021
Observation date: May 04, 2017
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Eagle County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Apr 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2017
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 05, 2021
Observation date: Feb 26, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 01, 2021
Observation date: Feb 26, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 01, 2021
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Carbon County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Mineral County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
Observation date: Jun 18, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 25, 2020
Observation date: Jul 08, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Cibola County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 17, 2020
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: taogirl
Region: Ouray County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 12, 2020
Observation date: May 26, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 02, 2020
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: JenBailey
Region: Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 25, 2020
Observation date: Aug 02, 2019
Submitted by: jhintermeister
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 08, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 01, 2020
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: dsperanza
Region: Powell County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: AaronB
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 15, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Jun 08, 2020
Observation date: May 28, 2020
Submitted by: Tim Shortell
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Jun 06, 2020
Observation date: May 15, 2020
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 05, 2020
Observation date: May 08, 2020
Submitted by: razmakat
Region: Spokane County, Washington, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 02, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: razmakat
Region: Whitman County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 01, 2020
Observation date: May 10, 2020
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 25, 2020
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